[Of Dominion.]
Capitulum primum.
[page 188] Siþ many falce gloseris maken goddis lawe derk & letten seculere men to susteyne it & kepen it; of siche falce gloseris schulde ech man be war. it is seid ofte tyme, in þe oolde lawe, þat prestis & clerkis schulde lyue on goddis part; þat is to seie, on dymes & offeryngis, & haue noon oþer heritage among here briþeren. but aduersarie of goddis lawe seiþ here bi his glose, þat þis schulde be kept in þe oolde testament, & is no nede to be kept in þe tyme of grace, for partys of þe oolde lawe ben now passid; & but ȝif lordis myȝte ȝeue here heritage to clerkis, as bischoppis & abbotis & oþer holy housis, þei were vnfree to helpe here soulis & here fadris, & so þei weren noȝt ful lordis of here owne goodis. But here we schal sup|pose as Cristen mennes bileue, þat god is cheef lord of eche þing of þis world. And so, al ȝif kyngis & oþere han free lordschipe, neþeles god is more free lord of þat same þing, ne it is nouȝt leeful to seculere lordis, to alyenen his lordschipe wiþouten leeue of god; as in mannes lordschipe a litil lord haþ no leeue to alienen his heritage but bi leue of þe cheif lord, & þis lawe haþ more resoun in þe lordschipe of god. Here may we se, siþ lordis of þis world hadde noȝt leeue of god þus to dowe his clerkis, here fool ȝifte schulde noȝt stonde bi skile; siþ god may noȝt be contrarie to him silf. But god ofte tyme in his two testamentis forbediþ his clerkis to be þus dowid; & so þis gile, þat cam bi cautel of þe fend, schulde be now broken for defaute of ground. ne grucche noȝt herfore þat god is cheif lord, for it falliþ to his godhed to be lord of eche þing, & more curteys lord may no man haue, ne more profitable lawis to lede a man by resoun. for þis lord suffriþ þee nouȝt to leese good but bi resoun, [page 188b] ne he axiþ þee no rente but for þin owne profite; & þus þe strengþe of goddis lawe axeþ aȝen þis lordschipe, & fillynge of goddis lawe þat sueþ grace
